Abstract
Abstract Commercial products containing propagules of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are widely marketed to improve woody plant performance in the landscape. However, the infectivity of these products has rarely been subjected to independent testing. We evaluated commercial AMF inoculants in a series of greenhouse experiments using corn ( Zea mays ), sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ), trident maple ( Acer buergerianum ), and sweetbay magnolia ( Magnolia virginiana ) as host plants. In corn and sorghum, colonization rarely exceeded 5% when plants were treated with commercial inoculants. In contrast, viable lab-cultured inoculant of similar species composition yielded mean colonization percentages of 38 to 61%. Despite the near absence of colonization, commercial inoculants generally improved shoot growth and increased soil nutrient concentrations in a dose-dependent manner. Commercial inoculants had no effect on mycorrhizal colonization or shoot growth of trident maple or sweetbay magnolia liners. Product-treated magnolias grown from seed also developed little or no mycorrhizal colonization, whereas plants treated with a lab-cultured inoculant were 74% colonized. If commercial AMF inoculants are to receive broad acceptance as landscape soil amendments, manufacturers must demonstrate that their products can promote mycorrhizal colonization under the conditions of their intended distribution and use.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants rarely exceeded 5% colonization of corn.
- Taxon
- corn
Zea mays subsp. mayse0 - Treatment
- commercial inoculantse0
- Interactor
- arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)e1symbiont
- Outcome
- colonizatione0
- Direction
- rarely exceedede0
- Value
- 5%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In corn and sorghum, colonization rarely exceeded 5% when plants were treated with commercial inoculants.”
e1“arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants rarely exceeded 5% colonization of sorghum.
SorghumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In corn and sorghum, colonization rarely exceeded 5% when plants were treated with commercial inoculants.”
e1“arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)”
Claim · model-written summary
Laboratory inoculant yielded 38 to 61% mean colonization in corn and sorghum.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- viable lab-cultured inoculante0
- Outcome
- mean colonization percentagese0
- Value
- 38 to 61%e0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“viable lab-cultured inoculant of similar species composition yielded mean colonization percentages of 38 to 61%.”
t0“using corn ( Zea mays )”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants generally improved shoot growth despite near absence of colonization.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- commercial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- shoot growthe0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Despite the near absence of colonization, commercial inoculants generally improved shoot growth and increased soil nutrient concentrations in a dose-dependent manner.”
t0“using corn ( Zea mays )”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants increased soil nutrient concentrations with dose.
- Taxon
- cornZea mays subsp. mayst0
- Treatment
- commercial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- soil nutrient concentrationse0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- dose-dependent mannere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“commercial inoculants generally improved shoot growth and increased soil nutrient concentrations in a dose-dependent manner”
t0“using corn ( Zea mays )”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants had no effect on mycorrhizal colonization of trident maple liners.
- Taxon
- trident maple
Acer buergerianume0 - Treatment
- Commercial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- mycorrhizal colonizatione0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Commercial inoculants had no effect on mycorrhizal colonization or shoot growth of trident maple or sweetbay magnolia liners.”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants had no effect on shoot growth of trident maple liners.
- Taxon
- trident mapleAcer buergerianume0
- Treatment
- Commercial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- shoot growthe0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Commercial inoculants had no effect on mycorrhizal colonization or shoot growth of trident maple or sweetbay magnolia liners.”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants had no effect on colonization of sweetbay magnolia liners.
- Taxon
- sweetbay magnoliae0
- Treatment
- Commercial inoculantse0
- Outcome
- mycorrhizal colonizatione0
- Direction
- no effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Commercial inoculants had no effect on mycorrhizal colonization or shoot growth of trident maple or sweetbay magnolia liners.”
Claim · model-written summary
Commercial inoculants had no effect on shoot growth of sweetbay magnolia liners.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Commercial inoculants had no effect on mycorrhizal colonization or shoot growth of trident maple or sweetbay magnolia liners.”
Claim · model-written summary
Product treated seed grown magnolias had little or no mycorrhizal colonization.
- Treatment
- Product-treatede0
- Outcome
- mycorrhizal colonizatione0
- Direction
- little or noe0
- Comparator
- lab-cultured inoculante0
MagnoliaOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Product-treated magnolias grown from seed also developed little or no mycorrhizal colonization, whereas plants treated with a lab-cultured inoculant were 74% colonized.”
Claim · model-written summary
Laboratory inoculant colonized 74% of seed grown magnolias.
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Product-treated magnolias grown from seed also developed little or no mycorrhizal colonization, whereas plants treated with a lab-cultured inoculant were 74% colonized.”
Claim · model-written summary
Manufacturers should demonstrate that commercial AMF products promote colonization under intended use conditions.
Verbatim
e0“manufacturers must demonstrate that their products can promote mycorrhizal colonization under the conditions of their intended distribution and use”
t0“Woody Landscape Plants”
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